M1 Garand loading info request

[Newtire]

Hi all,

I have loaded up j-word loads for a friend's M1 Garand using 4064 & 4895 and 150 gr. bullets with great success but have never tried it with cast.

gthe other night a guy I shoot with at the range asked me about loading up some cast for his Garand.

I know about this much...There's a range of desirable pressure so as to not put too much pressure up at the gas port-ie...no slow slow powders with jacketted. With cast, there's the trouble of too much speed.

Is there a load anyone has using a heavier boolit like the 311290 or 311284 or even a lighter RCBS 165 sil. boolit in the Garand? I just wanted to get up a load that would cycle the action and be halfway accurate.

Any suggestions? .30-06 Garand by the way...not a conversion or anything like that.

[smokemjoe]

I use 40 grs. of 4064 with the 311284, 38 grs. if you get pressure, Sized from .309 to .310,

[Newtire]

Thanks Joe,

That sounds like it should work. i'll load up a few and try them out if I get up there this weekend. Is there an overall length I should go for? I don't have the rifle here...

[shotman]

If you want a lighter cast the 311413[165gr] is very good about NO recoil and will cycle--i dont have load here but can get it I have the load to where the brass stays close-- this is with the normal spring shotman

[Newtire]

Sure thing shotman. I have that mould but in a single cavity. Maybe could try substituting the RCBS silhouette since it's the same weight even. It would be fun to experiment. If you find the load, I'll give it a try.

Thanks in Advance,
Newtire

[Calamity Jake]

I use 40.0 of 4895 + dacron filler with 314299 @ .310 per BruceB's post a few months age.
This load works good.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

The following loadings will work the action fine for the M-1; Lyman bullet mold #311299 with 37 grains of IMR 4895 and Lyman bullet #311284 with 40 grains of IMR 3031. Make sure that they are cast pretty hard or water quenched and use a good lube. Good shooting. LLS

[Meatco1]

You could also install a “Schuster Adjustable Gas Plug” to remove any pressure issues with a simple turning of the screw.

Richard

[Newtire]

Thanks for all the options! This place is good about that.

I took some loaded rounds up to the range but the Garand guy never showed. I ended up trying out some of the loads in my M-70.

I had loaded the 311290 into some loads using 38 gr. IMR4064 and shot a nice 18" group at 50 yds. I couldn't tell how long to make them so seated them probably a bit short.

Anyhow, the M-70 didn't do so well with that load. The guy who owned the Garand wanted me to cast up a bunch for him but will send him to Pat's Reloading to buy some of the pulldown Russian bullets as I couldn't cast them for the price they are getting for the J-words anyway.

That boolit does great but needed to be seated out to where the front band engraves the rifling if I remember right. I shot that thing in my Springfield 1903 with 25 gr. RX-7 & got the best group I have ever shot using cast boolits.